The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-06-18

GgnEuAt w II EMORY From PORTRAIT I'D
llarper's War Volumes.
scrson vile the bayou was 0bs'ruC'ed by
lorpcdocs, SunKcn steamboat and an
rarthwork, Fort Bisland, just above was
the Confederate gunboat J A. Cotton.
A sharp hight ensued in which Comma
dorc buchanan lost his life ball from u
Confederate sharpshooter having passed
through his head But the infantry got IN
he rear Of the Confederate works and
these we're soon abandoned The follow ng
slght The Con fSderate gun boat Cotton was
sesersca and set on fire With this success
atso OK petition of General WeItzel returned
~ Brashear City.
About Apr, 10, 1861, another expedition
sas sent up Bayov Tcche.
General Richard Taylor "a son OF Presi-
sent Zachariah Taylor was in command
u tho Confederate forces
sle made "a stand at Fort Bislaud, but
General Emory engaged his attention in
front while General Grover was striving
"a get in his rear.
The Eedcrals failed IN capturing the
S0nfederates, but caused them to abandon
she Tcchc country so hastily that they
sere compelled to sci fire TO several trans
ports laden with stores ut New lbcnia on
Bayou rcche, also to an unfinished gun
noat April 20, General Banks entered
OpelOusas and General Taylor rctrcated
beyond Vermlhon Bayou. Later General
Banks occupied Alexandra and from there
advanced to Port Hudson, which place he
invested about May "A, 1869, and sIX weeks
afterwards, captured.
The writer's regiment, having reached
AIglers opposite New Orleans by steam
GOAT dcbarkcd October A. 1853 and took
She cars for Braehcur City on the New Or
4ans, OpelOusaS IL Western railroad
The train was made up Of open Hat cars,
and when in motion over rough roadway
much care had 10 be exercised, lest some
4 the men would fall overheard.
Tue start was made early IN the morn
mg Ehc country travcrScl was covered
with in,crniuabIe swamps, Dayous, la
yDuus and sluggish creeks 1T was heavily
numbered, and Tor most OF the way seemed
one vast wilderness. Brashcdr city was
reached ut night and next day the m
aand started up Bayou Tcche. The coun.
lry now seen was attractive amt many dc.
aghtiui houses were passed. The houses,
Al!f hidden IN trccS, hi,d wiic purchoS aud
.hrge windows
Atth.s time oranges were ripcniug and
.tt many tINldiuS plNNtil "'lV 'Hh'A'#'
Esier the weight Of tins Delicious fruit
HcuTly all the fences were made OF cH'
press Tbs wood was split thin board
AXE pieces and AZ convenient distances
Rcre posts Of the same material with NOR
gucs Tor the reception OF thu Horizontal
Yc.es M.ihs waya neat fence was made
but n must have taken a great deal of mt
and involved much labor.
~ h.u Z la. division uaa lul1pI "a NIGHT M
Cor dinner every man seized uua or more
peces OF this fence AN in little time It
M o. many fires that heated multitude OF
coffee pots aud toasted innumcrablc slices
81 salt pork
Nearly every man carried an old tin can
sus "a witch there had been fruit OF
SISTERS ana with piece OF wire he had
male for IL a bal A soon as a tirG wa
sate, This can filled with water WIS
yiaced upon H. When the water came 10
Doll, ground coffee, IN which form tn
article was always supplied, was added
Meantime thin slice OF bacon or salt port
was toasted upon the end of "A st elk and the
fat that eNuded while cooking was alloweC
20 drip upon the hard CTackcr-"hdTd tack
this served IN lieu OF gravy or butter
While pom the march coffee, made as De-
scriDcd above, seemed delicious, and the ia
meat and.h hard cracker were eaten with
relish that row seem almost mex plicablc
Good appe,itcs and sweet sleep, however
ere two good angels that never desert
soldier on the march.
The region WAS very level and the Ian,
wonderfully fertile, the soil being deep
rich black loan. The cypress fences de
scr,bed above Enclosed vast sugar pian'a
pons Along the br"